Istclair - To me it sounds like you have your answer, you didn't like meds for digging through the brood chamber, but you didn't like the weight of honey in the deeps. I would have to believe that deep broods with med supers is the way for you to go? I'm in the process of buying my extractor, I'm just waiting for a check to clear from my last removal. The extractor I am getting holds 9 deep frames radial, so that wont be much of a problem. Plus since it will be motorized, I figure I will stay with deeps throughout. If I were going to hand crank, I would prob want to get as many frames as I could per round, but in the end, it'd prob just be a wash anyway, smaller frames, means more frames, which would be more rounds of extraction? Just guessing there, but sounds logical.

:ot:"Sticks and stones may break my bones but a ford will never pass me":D
67 Camaro collector car

BTW Deeps for brood cause I havem,,,,switching to mediums for supers. Ran deeps for supers and had them chest high,,,,I'm 6 ft,,,,Top two FULL had to be 90 to 100 lbs each. Can't be doin that anymore. May go mediums as I wimp out:doh:
rick SoMd

07-12-2010, 01:06 PM

alpha6

Re: If you were buying all your equipment again...

I like deeps for brood chambers, mediums for honey supers. I use Ten frame only because that was what I got when buying out a beek when I started, but I could switch to 8 frame with no problems. Plastic frames with wax coating will serve you the best if you are going commercial. If you are a hobbiest then you can choose what you like and it will work.

07-12-2010, 02:23 PM

Troy

Re: If you were buying all your equipment again...

I started out with deep brood chambers and shallow supers.

I realized in my 3rd or 4th year that my honey harvest would be much simpler if I had all mediums.

My extractor is a 9 frame and it will fit shallow or mediums radially, but deeps only 3 and tangentially. So for each batch of honey supers I could get more honey extracted from each of 9 med. frames than 9 shallows. Seems to me it would take the same amount of time to decap and load , extract and unload 9 med frames as it would for 9 shallows, right?

Also, on those few honey bound brood chambers I can extract a few frames here and there and swap around more easily if they are all medium too. I have seen the light. I need to be using all mediums.

To that end last month I ordered 10 boxes of mediums and will assemble them and have them ready for the fall flow.

07-12-2010, 07:31 PM

honeydreams

Re: If you were buying all your equipment again...

Things I would never use again is duragilt I would use eight frame mediums no deeps. I would use wood frames plastic foundation easy peasy on that.

07-12-2010, 07:47 PM

Countryboy

Re: If you were buying all your equipment again...

If I was buying, or if I was making equipment again?

It's cheapest to go all deeps, but harder on your back. How much money do you want to spend?

What are your beekeeping goals? If I was a woman, who just wanted a few hives for honey production, I would probably just go with Top Bar Hives. Cheap, and the weight isn't going to be an issue.

If I wanted to raise bees and nucs, I would probably go with all deeps. A deep box of bees isn't nearly as heavy as a deep box of honey.

If I wanted to do honey production, I'd probably go with jumbos or deeps for a broodbox, with shallows or mediums for honey supers.

07-12-2010, 08:55 PM

peacekeeperapiaries

Re: If you were buying all your equipment again...

we run 8-frame equipment, combo of deeps and mediums. We like 2 deeps for brood , however after moving them back from orange we do throw some mediums on top of deep brood chambers also as we like to use the drawm deep combs on splits and increases. We usually start a good flow with deeps for honey then as they are filled follow up with mediums. Dependant upon how many hives you have and how many you want... an upgrade on the extractor may be necessary. A 20 frame dadant will extract 20 deeps and 36 meds if you choose to stuff that many mediums in there, and overall does not cost that much more money that extractors which do not handle deeps as well. Good luck.

Steve

07-12-2010, 09:16 PM

Mike Gillmore

Re: If you were buying all your equipment again...

I started from scratch this year and went to all 10 frame mediums. I had the same initial concern about having all the extra frames to check when doing a full inspection. But the benefits in my opinion are well worth the extra time and labor.

It will be so much easier now to keep the brood nest opened up during swarm season. And having the freedom to move or swap frames anywhere I need them, to me, is a tremendous advantage. I used to get so frustrated when I had a mix of deeps and mediums and lacked the simplicity of moving frames around where I wanted them. KISS works well for me.

11-08-2010, 10:13 AM

lstclair

Re: If you were buying all your equipment again...

Thanks again to everyone for their replies. I'm placing my order today for 20 8-frame hives with supers, and enough wood frames to supplement what I already have. (I'm planning on starting 15 hives, but getting extra equipment, because you always need it!) I'm still kicking around foundation: I have about 100 sheets of small cell wax that I might as well use; I'm considering doing 5 hives of Honey Supercell as a test, since people seem to like it, and then five of... Still not sure. So many people like wax coated plastic, but I've had a horrible time in the past getting bees to draw it. These hives aren't in my backyard and I hate the idea of being out there scraping badly drawn plastic every week until they get it right! So I may go with traditional crimp wired wax.

Hmmm.

11-08-2010, 11:09 AM

MAXANT

Re: If you were buying all your equipment again...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick 1456

:ot:"Sticks and stones may break my bones but a ford will never pass me":D
67 Camaro collector car

BTW Deeps for brood cause I havem,,,,switching to mediums for supers. Ran deeps for supers and had them chest high,,,,I'm 6 ft,,,,Top two FULL had to be 90 to 100 lbs each. Can't be doin that anymore. May go mediums as I wimp out:doh:
rick SoMd

My Ford will :no:

11-08-2010, 03:43 PM

StevenG

Re: If you were buying all your equipment again...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick 1456
"Sticks and stones may break my bones but a ford will never pass me"
67 Camaro collector car
rick SoMd

"My Ford will "
__________________www.maxantindustries.com
American made Honey Processing Equipment "Built to last a lifetime"

:D My Ford won't - a 1914 touring car.
Steven

11-08-2010, 04:48 PM

coopermaple

Re: If you were buying all your equipment again...

I like 10 deeps for brood and shallows for honey.
I have to ask for those that posted against deeps how do you get 90-100lbs in a deep?

11-08-2010, 07:43 PM

Dubuquer

Re: If you were buying all your equipment again...

Based on my experience I have had better results with a screened bottom board and plastic foundation. I like deeps for brood and regular supers for the honey production. Use what works in your area and keep all materials interchangeable.

11-08-2010, 09:06 PM

Kingfisher Apiaries

Re: If you were buying all your equipment again...

If I lost everything, and had to start over-
Migratory Tops
Solid bottom boards
Vsh/buckfast bees
Plastic foundation
Wood frames - all from the same company. I have have frames from everyone and their dog and the manufacturing differences make me go nuts. :eek:
Bucket feeders
Either all mediums or all deeps, or both, but run them separate, I.E. yard 1 mediums, yard 2 deeps, etc

mike

11-08-2010, 11:14 PM

Merlyn Votaw

Re: If you were buying all your equipment again...

I would go all mediums because they would all be interchangble plis the 8 frames are not as heavy and as you get older you will see what weight will do to you but the down side of that is you will have more bodies with 8 frames than 10 frames

11-09-2010, 09:26 AM

Cedar Hill

Re: If you were buying all your equipment again...

If I had bought all cypress woodenware when I started over fifty years ago, I would still have the same supers. What a savings in labor and money! Still have the mediums I bought over 40 years ago. So if I were starting over, everything would be made of cypress. OMTCW